STUDY: Less Than ONE Percent Of Guatemalan Immigrants Are In The United States Legally

Only 11,773 out of the three million Guatemalans in the United States are in the country legally, according to a study presented Wednesday by the Association of Research and Social Studies.

That number only accounts for 0.39 percent of the total population of Guatemalans in the United States.

The study, entitled “Migration in Figures” also found that the number of Guatemalans receiving asylum and naturalization increased in recent years and reached a total of 9,364 in 2016.

In addition, the study found that 17,700 Guatemalans are protected under the Deferred Action Program for Childhood Arrivals program, and another 55,000 would qualify to receive the protection from deportation.

Researchers involved in the study noted however that President Donald Trump’s immigration policies are leading to an increase in deportations for Guatemalans, which totaled 85,449 people in 2017.

“Trump has been consistent in his campaign promises,” said Andrés Navas, a researcher leading the study.

According to Carol Girón, a missionary living in Guatemala, conditions in Guatemala remain poor, and therefore illegal migration to the United States is bound to continue.